In "The trenches are swarming with these things" it
likely means cooties. A more accurate word is usually desirable. Yet we
may see the value of the generality in the saying "A place for everything,
and everything in its place."
_Good_ and _things_ are not alone in having multitudinous
meanings. There are in the language numerous many-sided words. These words
should be studied carefully. True, they are not always employed in
ambiguous ways. For example, _right_ in the sense of correct is
seldom likely to be mistaken for _right_ in the sense of not-left,
but a reader or hearer may frequently mistake it for _right_ in the
sense of just or of honorable. In the use of such words, therefore, we
cannot become too discriminating.
EXERCISE H
This exercise concerns itself with common words that have more than one
meaning. Make your procedure as follows. First, look up the word itself.
Under it you will find a number of defining words. Then look up each of
these in turn, until you have the requisite number and kind of synonyms.
(The word is sure to have more synonyms than are called for.) You will
have to use your dictionary tirelessly.
Find three synonyms for _bare_ as applied to the body;
three for it as applied to a room.
Pages:
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360